MANILA, Philippines — Singaporean artist Josh Makazo has added Hours to his promising and thriving collection of songs. The latest track is a contemporary dark R&B with touches of cyber punk to it.
The STAR had a virtual exclusive interview with the singer-songwriter, who also happens to be a music producer.
“Initially, the source of inspiration really stems from what I was listening to at a young age,” said Josh, who came from a long night of recording upcoming songs during the chat and gave one how a ditty comes about, “that being artists like Frank Ocean for his very introspective lyrics, and The Weeknd for very atmospheric soundscapes, but I think eventually over time it evolved into something that closely related to my heart.”
“Something that really inspires me and motivates me is actually (this) thought — the ability to help others, to heal people through music. That something really, really inspires me. And I try to keep that in mind when I make music,” added he.
For him, writing music is “a source for me to journal.” Josh saw the importance of such when he was serving the national service in Singapore and attended its training.
“What they taught us was to journal (and) reflect a lot. So, I think during that period of time, that was when I really learned how to write my music. I really started to question and ponder some of the decisions I’ve made in the past, some of the choices that I want to make, I want to become, things like that,” shared he.
And Hours is the most recent recording output from Josh. It talks about “the bittersweet process of reminiscing about a past lover,” according to a piece of information given to this paper.
Josh recalled that he started writing the song after the completion of a previous album, and it signaled the next chapter of his discography.
Following his line of thought, one could glean that he would find “a general direction, a certain soundscape that I wanted to achieve,” in creating an album.
With Hours, he wanted to explore cyberpunk music, which is like a “night drive music” that one listens to while inside the car and appreciates the “chill vibe of the night.”
That is also set against what he called the contemporary dark R&B genre.
“(It) is really just R&B, but it revolves more (around) minor chords. The thing with minor chords is, (they have) this certain emotion to (them), this sadness, this melancholic feeling.”
The element that gives the song more cyberpunk feel is in the actual bassline, said he, adding that in the second chorus of Hours, one can hear an oscillating bassline.
Josh intends to incorporate such an element into his next project. It has a visual attachment to the sound that it creates, added the artist, wanting his listeners to feel that sort of imagery.
What’s the experience like in making a name for himself in the recording scene in Singapore? Josh answered that “it’s such a blessing because, let’s say, I think it was four years ago, I interned at a local record label and since Singapore is such a small country, the music industry is also very, very small as well. And so, even that early on, when I was just an intern, I would be sort of privy to some local acts, you know.”
“I could actually see what they’re doing and how they’re making music and learn from them. The thing is, with a lot of the artists in Singapore, they’re so kind and inviting. Actually, one of my mentors is, to this day, the same person that really mentored me from the very beginning, my whole team, (they) are people that I met four years ago,” added he.
At the time of the interview, Josh shared that he will have a show in Bali, Indonesia, the artist’s first overseas performance, and hopes to visit other countries such as the Philippines in the future.
“I’ve done collaborations in the past,” said he about working with fellow artists. “But right now, I’m so focused on creating my own album. It really puts me in my own thoughts, you know. I wanted to be able to establish what my sound is first for this album (that I’m working on) before I even start to consider what I want to do for collaborations. But nonetheless, collaborations are always such a thrill for me to do. Like I said, collaborating with like-minded individuals is so exciting because you learn so much (from them).”
Asked where music is in his life, Josh said that it has always been in his heart.
“It’s something that I live and breathe through, and so it remains in my heart. And it will always remain there,” concluded he.
(Give Hours a listen via https://orcd.co/onlyhours and follow Josh on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube.)
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